Soap & Glory Goodies!

 A slightly more casual blog post today, as I feel like I don't do these often enough! 

I recently picked up a few Soap & Glory products and thought I'd show you them!

Firstly I picked up the Glad Hair Day Shampoo. I really wanted a new shampoo, as I used the Pantene 2 in 1, but since bleaching my hair I really needed to look after it more. This has a fruity scent which
I love, as fruity and citrus scents are my favourite. It is clear and has a gel-like consistency. The smell lingers on your hair, but is still quite subtle which I think is great. (£5.50)

The next thing I bought was the Glad Hair Day Conditioner to go along with the shampoo. Conditioning my hair separately was something I never used to do, because the Pantene claimed to be '2 in 1', but it was no strong enough for my hair. Using separate conditioner is a life saver! It smells the same, but is white and has a creamy consistency. I've only used these products once, but my hair feels really soft. I'll make sure to keep you updated about these! (£5.50)

Finally, I got the Supercat Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen. I got this because Soap & Glory were having a 3 for 2 offer at Boots and this was something that immediately caught my eye. I've always shied away from eyeliners, especially liquid ones, because I find them very intimidating and they are difficult to put on at first. I'd seen a few eyeliners coming out which were like felt-tip pens and this is the same. They always looked really easy to apply and I trust Soap & Glory's makeup to be good, because so many people love it. This has a nib which can be used to apply the eyeliner thick or thin, so you have extra precision. I'm still getting used to applying eyeliner, but I tested it on my hand and it lasted all day! (£6.00)

I hope you enjoyed this mini haul and let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this! I also really want to try their Smoothie body cream, because it smells SO good!

Question of the blog: Do you use Soap & Glory products?
Quote: Good things come, not to those who wait, but to those who seize opportunities.

-Shona xo

Friendship | Merry Monday #4

So today I wanted to talk about friendships. This is a slightly different approach to 'Merry Monday' so I hope it's worth it.

A lot of people take friendships for granted, but some people out there find it extremely difficult to try and make friends. Maybe they're self-concious or bullied by the people around them. Words can make people feel incredibly insecure and people often go around school saying things like 'They have no friends' or 'They're rude, they're always on their own'. If you've ever said something like this, think about how that person might be feeling or what they might be going through before you judge so quickly.

This picture is a cute example of how much friends mean to people and why you should always treasure them. If you see someone alone, go up to them, because quite often they'll be too scared to start a conversation and if you take that weight off of their shoulders they will feel so much better and pleased. Once you get closer they will come out of their shell and will be so thankful that you just simply said hello.

Friendships are one of the best things to have and keep hold of them until the day you die.

Question of the blog: How do you feel about friendships?
Quote: True friendship is when you walk into their house and your WiFi connects automatically. (This made me chuckle, hehe.)
-Shona xo

Drugstore Makeup Wishlist!

Sorry this post is quite late, I've been racking my brains to try and think of what I want to talk about today. I've decided to talk about some of the drugstore makeup products I'd like to try.

1. Maybeline Falsies Big Eyes Mascara- I originally wanted to try out the original Maybeline Falsies mascara and very nearly picked it up a few weeks ago, but I'm glad I didn't because they came out with a new and updated version! This one is the same, but it has two ends. One for top lashes and the other for bottom lashes. I want to try this super bad and it's only £6.99!

2. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation- I really want a cheap, good foundation and I've heard mixed reviews about this. The good thing is that it goes paler than most drugstore foundations and I have the palest skin in the world. It's also £6.99.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder- I've heard so many people rave about this and I believe it's only £3.99. Great to control shine for a cheap price!

4. Tanya Burr Lips & Nails- These products haven't been released yet, but I'm saving my money to buy some, because they're released in 5 days! Can't wait to try them. (Between £6-£8)

5. Bourjois ColourBoost Lip Crayon- I want to try these so bad. I nearly bought the red one, but decided to go for the Revlon Lip Crayons instead, because they're red colour was slightly darker. I'd like to try these crayons in 'Peach on The Beach' and 'Orange Punch'. They're £7.99.

So that's just some of the products from my wishlist! I have a wishlist dedicated to 2014, so I don't spend money on random things. See you on Monday!

Question of The Blog: What are your favourite drugstore products?
Quote: Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

-Shona xo

Happy Week!

This is a bit of a spur of the moment blog post, because this week was supposed to be the most depressing week of the year (or at least Monday the most depressing day.) It's mostly down to paychecks and money, but I still got a bit pooped, because I hate being miserable.

Anyway, despite all that, I've actually felt really happy so far this week and it seems to be going super fast. I've done nothing but laugh for the past few days and the only negative I've been thinking about is tests (oh yay. Revision, fun...)

 I've made a few changes in my life that I feel may have contributed to this:

1) Exercise- I've been doing a bit of exercise every day. It doesn't have to be anything drastic, just a bit of time out of my day to get my heartbeat going:)

2) Eating better- When I say 'better' I don't mean '5 a day' better, because I feel like 5 a day is a lot, especially because all people eat now is junk food. I do love my junk food, but I've been trying to eat more healthy, even if it's just replacing one thing on my plate with some vegetables or something different. I made homemade pasta sauce with my Dad on Monday and it was really yummy!

3) Calm.com- This website helps you to stay relaxed. I saw Tanya Burr talk about it in her Q&A video. It could be considered 'meditation', but all it really is, is sitting for 2, 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes (your choice) either with a voice guiding you or just music on it's own (again, your choice) and it helps you to relax. It also makes you super sleepy!

4) Clearer skin- I've been trying to keep my skin clear and spot-free lately. Spots stress you out loads and having clear skin not only raises self-confidence, but you feel so much better. I have a skin care routine coming to my channel soon!

So that's it! I'm proud that I'm achieving my 'be more positive' resolution. Hope your week's going well and I'll see you on Saturday!

Question of the blog: How do you stay positive?
Quote: Maybe it's not about the happy ending, maybe it's about the story.

-Shona xo

100% Me | Merry Monday #3

Today I wanted to talk about loving yourself. Here's a quote/paragraph that I found that I really love:

I think this is really important, because people are often too busy worrying about their flaws and wishing they looked like someone else, because they feel like everyone is looking at them,but the truth is, everyone is too busy worrying about their own imperfections.

Think like this, someone out there in the world will think that your flaws are beautiful. Maybe if you have dimples or freckles or spots, someone out there will love that feature. You only get one chance to be you, so you should be happy that you're alive and accept yourself for who you are. As soon as you build your confidence you will not care what anyone else says. Everything about you makes you, you and you should learn to be yourself. If someone doesn't like you for who you are, they're not worth your time. Focus on being the best version of YOU and the right people will fall into place.

This was moderately short, because the picture speaks for itself here. Don't forget to let me know what you'd like to see next week!

Question of the blog: What's great/unique about you?
Quote: Love yourself and the rest will follow.

P.S Today is 'Blue Monday'. Apparently it's the most miserable day of the year. I actually feel quite happy today, bending the rules;) Hope you're not feeling blue and that this cheered you up.

-Shona xo

Canon 600D

 

Recently, I bought something that will a huge impact on my photos and videos and I'm so excited to share it with you! I was looking for a camera and decided to go with the Canon 600D.

                           

                        

I'm already loving this camera and I actually spoke about it in a vlog.
However, I'm here to go into more detail so...

I love the settings on this camera. It gives you loads of options for landscape shots, portrait shots, motion shots, close-ups and loads more. There is also a 'Scene Intelligent Auto Mode' which automatically chooses the best exposure and lighting options etc. This is great for beginners (like me) or if your getting used to how the camera works. There are also more advanced options which allow you to get really creative. 

So far, I have only used the manual focus, as I can't seem to get the auto focus to work. I haven't experimented much with it, so that is probably why. I love the manual focus, as it lets me be creative and choose what I want to focus on (obviously), something I could never do on my previous camcorder. The lens also zooms in and out which is cool for taking pictures of animals etc.

I'm also loving the 'video' feature as It's awesome to film my YouTube videos on. 

I thought I would share the (very few) pictures that  I have taken so far. Please note that I have only had this (with the SD card) for 2 days, so I haven't had chance to go outside and take some pictures yet, so these are just of random household things:

There we go! I can't wait to get out and take some more pictures!

Question of the blog: Do you enjoy photography?
Quote: Risk what you are, for what you will become.

-Shona xo

Regrets and Opportunities | Merry Monday #2

So it's Monday again and I'm back to sort out your Monday blues.

Today I wanted to talk about regrets and opportunities. I feel like when we are given an opportunity we immediately think about whether we'll feel scared or how it will turn out and this causes us to say no. Saying no is the option we find easiest and, when in doubt, is the first thing we say.

In The End, We Only Regret The Chances We Didn't Take.
From Pinterest.

The quote above is very important to me, because it slots in with part of one of my New Year's resolutions, being to say yes to more opportunities. If I'm given an opportunity, no matter how big or small, I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and say yes. If you don't enjoy it, you don't have to do it again, simple as that. When you're older and you're looking back on your life, you want to remember things because you had the chance to do them and you took that chance. Personally, I would rather say 'I can't believe I did that,' than 'I wish I had done that.' Don't think about things too deeply, as you'll often be worrying over things that are nothing.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Found on Pinterest.

I love this quote, because it's a twist on the original 'YOLO' quote. I think that this also projects that seizing opportunities and getting the best out of life is the best way to live and even you have to take risks, it's all worth it in the end, because every day that you spend sitting there is another day wasted. Get out and enjoy the one life that you get.

That's all for today! Don't forget to let me know what you would like to see in future Merry Monday posts!

Question of the blog: What do you want to do before you die?
Quote: You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

-Shona xo

Songs of January!

Hello Everyone!

So a few months ago I started a series where I shared with you some tracks that I'd been loving that month. I totally forgot about this and thought it would be good to get back on track with it, so here it is, Songs of January! I am aware that this is up very early in January, but I will be including favourites from December which I still love. Don't worry, it'll go back to normal next month!:D

The first track is Look Right Through by Storm Queen. I adore this song and I always sing to it. It's just great and is soooo catchy.

My next two songs are by a band called 'The 1975' I play these two songs on repeat,as they are soo amazing. This is a very recent discovery and I know loads of people have been loving this band lately and now I know why! The two songs are called 'Sex' and 'Chocolate' and I highly recommend you give these a listen.

My next song is by no means new. It's really old, but for some reason I've started listening to it. It's called My Immortal by Evanescence. I'm not usually one for music like this, but I love this. I also really like Bring Me To Life by the same band, but this is not a recent discovery.

My final song has no singing in it, but this was/is reeeaaalllyyy popular and I love it:-) It's Animals by Martin Garrix.




I hope you enjoyed this and that you discovered some new music. See you on Monday for my 'Merry Monday' series!

Question of the blog: What songs have you been loving this month?
Quote: Everyday might not be good, but there's something good in every day.

-Shona xo

Positivity & Motivation | Merry Monday #1

Hello there!

I wanted to start a mini 'series' on my blog where I talk about all things positive, inspirational and up-lifting. This series is going to be called 'Merry Monday'. If you come up with a better name (which you will) please leave it in the comments below! I decided to do this on a Monday, hoping that it would brighten up your day and cure your case of the Monday blues.

Today I wanted to talk about positivity and motivation. In one of my previous blog posts, I shared a video that was sooo motivational and every time I'm having a bad day or feeling like I want to give up, I', going to watch that and I'm going to fight back, because bad moods *cough*Teenage crap that I have to deal with *cough*, life and problems aren't going to stand in my way. If you want to show who's boss you have to say, "No, I'm sorry. I'm in charge of my life and I don't want you to interfere with my actions."

Things won't change until we do.
Found on Pinterest.

The quote above says that, until you decide to change and make decisions, nothing happening in your life will be different.

An example of how I'm going to stay motivated is:

Everyday when I have to go back to school, I feel down in the dumps and so stressed, but I've decided to bat that stress away. Recently, I've been treating school like an obstacle and it stops me from getting things done. I've realised that school is a window of opportunities and friendships and I want to try and make it the best time of my life. School should not be seen as a dark and horrible thing, you just have to find the good in everyday and thrive from the positives. I've had an inkling that this year will be the best year EVER for me and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens.

I hope this post motivated you and don't forget to come back on Sundays for miscellaneous blog posts and on Mondays for more of the 'Merry Monday' series!

Question of the blog: What keeps you motivated?
Quote: Things won't change until we do.

-Shona xo

Social Media Faves

So it's Saturday and that means time for my new schedule! I just finished playing Monopoly Boutique Edition with my family and realised I've been a complete slacker with my to-do list this weekend but wanted to write this:)

I'm going to be talking about my 'Social Media Faves' and all the sites that I go on. Not personal ones, public ones. Starting with Tumblr...

Oh dear. Tumblr is like a black hole. Once you've created that account and scrolled for a while there's NO getting out of it. You will become addicted, I swear. Soooo.... besides that It's great for looking at pictures and knowing your not the only person who spends their life on the internet. It's also reassuring to know that there are many other fangirls out there. If you'd like to follow me on tumblr click here. Wow okay, the process of getting that link took 10 minutes, because I had a little scroll. See what I mean? haha.

If you're looking for a slightly brighter, friendlier website that's less addictive than tumblr, then you could use Pinterest! Pinterest is a new discovery for me, I made an account about 2(ish) days ago. It's very good if you're looking for inspiration or crafty ideas and feels a lot more fresh. If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest click here.

Now to Instagram! I love Instagram A LOT and I feel like I don't use it enough. Last night, I thought of another New Year's resolution and that was to take more pictures. I feel like I didn't take enough in 2013 and I really want to share my memories with you:) If you'd like to follow me on Instagram click here. Or you could type in Shona_mylife if you're on a mobile/tablet.

Finally, it's time for my favourite... YOUTUBE! Youtube is just the best. I spend most of my time on Youtube (whoopssieess:S) whether that's watching videos or uploading them. Also, most of the things I do/think about revolve around it (editing, thinking of ideas etc.) I can't wait to see what happens to my channel in 2014, but if you aren't subscribed already, click here to do so. Or you could type in 'Shona Fitzpatrick' to the search bar.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I'll see you on Saturday! (Or maybe mid-week, idk.)

Question of the blog: Which social media site is your favourite?

Quote: You can't start the next chapter if you keep re-reading the last one.

-Shona xo

Secrets To Success

This is more of a 'serious' blog post I guess. I was on the internet today and I found a video. It talks about success and motivation. I can safely say, It's one of the best videos I've watched... EVER.

Before I give you the link, I'd like to say: Please, please, please watch until the end! Ok here it is:

Have you watched it? Good, ok. I'm going to talk about it now.

Some of the quotes in this are so inspiring and the way this man gives this information makes you want to succeed even more than you ever would've. He says 'When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.' He uses the story of a man meeting up with a guru on the beach at 4am, who plunges him under the water, until he almost passes out. He then asks 'What did you want to do when you were underwater?' The man wanted to breathe. If you want success as bad as you want to breathe in that situation, then it will come.

However, you can't just work a couple of hours a day. You have to work for days on end. You have to work so hard that you forget to eat. You forget to sleep. You forget to do anything else that you might want to do, because the key to being successful is to work for it. Another thing he mentioned was: 'You have to be willing to sacrifice yourself to be who/what you want to be.' 

You have to sacrifice you and your everyday habits if you want to reach that goal.Success doesn't come on a plate and if you don't work hard and want it with a passion, then you'll never be successful.
What surprised me, was that this man was homeless for 2 1/2 years. He's been alone and thrown out by his Mum. He said he thought to himself' Where is the real me? Stop sitting on the street and get up and do something with your life.' He talks about pain and says: 'Don't cry to give up, Cry to keep going. You've worked so hard and are in pain, so why not get a reward for it?'

It's difficult to explain and get my head around what's going on in this video, but it will have an effect on everyone who watches it. If this video doesn't make you feel motivated, then I don't know what will.

I hope you enjoyed this post, I just HAD to share this with you:-) So don't give up, keep going, no matter what it takes.

Question of the blog: Did this video help/motivate you?
Quote: 'When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.'

-Shona xo